Virginia Horse Board Awards nearly $100k in Grants for 2015-2016

 

The Virginia Horse Industry Board (VHIB) recently reviewed all grant proposals that had been submitted for consideration for Fiscal Year 2015-2016.

 

The VHIB approved $98,269 for 14 projects for the coming year. This brings the total amount of grants the Board has awarded

to promote and advance the Virginia horse industry to more than $2 million.

 

The list of winners, the names of submitters and organizations they represent, and the total amount each project will receive are listed below.  Projects are also divided by category: Education, Marketing, and Research.

 

Education Grants

 

Virginia State 4-H Horse Show $5,000

Celeste Crisman, State 4-H Horse Show Committee  

 

Virginia 4-H EquiSmartz  $3,500
Celeste Crisman, VA Cooperative Extension 

 

VA Forage & Grasslands Council Educational Horse Events  $2,500

Carrie Swanson, VA Cooperative Extension/VFGC  

 

Western Dressage Series at Airfield  $500

Melvin Atkinson, Airfield 4-H Conference Center

 

Marketing Grants

 

VA Horse Council: Serving the Horse Industry Across VA  $33,500

Glen Ritchey, VHC 

 

A Calendar to Promote the Horse Industry in Virginia  $5,800

Deborah Easter, Virginia Thoroughbred Association

 

Marketing Virginia: American Paint Horse Association's 2016 Convention  $8,000
David Lands, VA Paint Horse Club 

 

PATH International 2016 Horse EXPO  $7,500

Kathy Alm, Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

 

Research Grants

 

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis(EPM) Identifying the Immune Response and the Role of Infection  $10,000

Sharon Witonsky, DVM, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine  

 

Solubilized Extracellular Matrix for Improved Tendon Regeneration  $5,000

Linda Dahlgren, DVM, VA Tech                                           

 

Bone Metabolism Regulators in Equine Arthritis    $9,969

Christopher Byron, DVM, VA Tech  

 

Survey of Equine Demographics and Endocrine Disease Status on Horses Used for

Therapeutic Horsemanship Programs in Virginia  $2,500

Melinda Freckleton, DVM, Haymarket Veterinary Services  

 

Optimal Forage Concentrate Ratios for Protein Utilization & Hindgut Metabolism  $4,000  

Patricia Graham-Thiers, Ph.D., Emory & Henry College                                                                                    

 

Targeting New Deworming Strategies Towards Tomorrow’s Horse Industry Leaders  $500

Carrie Swanson, Virginia Cooperative Extension